Now in early-2025, shortly after the third anniversary of Golden Nomad 2.0’s launch, Carlos sat in his office wearing a ruffled Armani business suit. He was exhausted with bags under his eyes. He’d just returned from his fourth press conference this week; and it was only Tuesday!
Golden Nomad 2.0 went public last month and was now listed on the stock exchange. Within the first few days of its listing, the price of Nomad shares spiked to well over five times its IPO (Initial Public Offering) value; and it’ barely gone down since. In fact, the share price continued to climb day-by-day.
Despite the amount of new Freedom COiNs now in circulation since the re-launch, the market value of each FC continued to climb; which was another contributing factor for Nomad 2’s user-base growing rapidly (even internationally!).
Due to the over-supply of Sakashima Dollars in circulation resulting in soaring inflation over the last two years; mum and dad investors began seeking alternative assets to park their fortunes into. Similar with the cost of everything else like food and petrol, the value of the FCs rose. Fortunately, people looking to own FCs had two options; they could either purchase them or farm them using the Nomad 2 app.
The situation even reached a point where nearly half the population stopped using cash altogether and went all-in on FCs! They converted their life-savings to FCs, and now bought and sold everything using the app.
While ditching the Sakashima Dollar for FCs, people began questioning how so many dollars came to be printed and circulated in the first place. As anticipated by Chairman Matsuda and everyone in the know; the men and women on the street were beginning to piece together the catalyst that started it all; the great deception their lives were built upon.
News reports were coming out about the dangers of consuming blue-spiked sea urchin roe and the falsified research advocating its non-existent health benefits. The Sakashiman economy was built on the engineered demand for those sea urchins, which were publicly revealed to be a sham. Naturally, a huge scandal broke out on an international level.
The country’s fishing and agricultural industry took a massive hit to its reputation on top of the massive fines and lawsuits. Also implicated were the retired university professors and chancellors of several of Sakashima’s top universities for publishing the bogus journal articles.
Sakashima’s economy and reputation overseas had been put through the meat grinder during the previous year. However its saving grace was its monopoly on Freedom COiNs.
Being the man behind the company generating the only thing Sakashima had left going for it; Carlos had literally become the country’s most important man! However, to Carlos, the reality of his situation was more of a curse than a privilege.
Carlos, clad in his ruffled suit, gazed up at the ceiling of his office. He resembled a dead fish at the supermarket.
‘I barely made it out of that last pres-con without collapsing at the podium; and that was after my eighth coffee today. I don’t know how I’ll be able to make it through tonight’s interview. Crap!’ Carlos thought.
His company’s Vice President and COO (Chief Operating Officer), Tomas Kamiya, entered the room wearing a polo shirt and pair of jeans. “Great preso Carlos! But I noticed you were a little wobbly on stage… You OK?”
“Yeah, just a little exhausted is all.”
“How about this, try to get through tonight’s interview with Forbes; and then we’ll ask Julia to hand over this month’s remaining meetings over to me. Once that’s done, take a holiday. Maybe go somewhere fancy like Paris or Athens for a couple weeks. I’ll handle everything.”
Being the President and CEO of Golden Nomad 2.0, Carlos could theoretically take up Tomas’ offer with ease; and Tomas was knowledgeable and personable enough to do a good job in Carlos’ stead. However, there was one person above Carlos who he’d need approval from if he wanted to take a holiday; Chairman Matsuda.
“Man, I’d love to. But I gotta act like a responsible guy in front of everyone, especially our shareholders. It wouldn’t be a good look if I abandoned my post on a whim.”
“It wouldn’t be a good look either if you rocked up on TV looking like a crack-addict.”
Tomas had a point. Carlos excused himself from the room, promising to give Tomas an answer when he gets back. There were still two hours left before the Forbes reporter was expected to turn up at the office; which was more than enough time to consult his actual boss.
After rinsing his face in the office bathroom and stepping inside a vacant meeting room, Carlos pulled out his smart phone and dialled the number of a contact listed as ‘Richard Head’.
“Hello Mr. Hirano, excellent job on that last press conference. You keep exceeding our expectations!” greeted the familiar male voice answering the call.
“Hey Rick.” Carlos replied. He was of course talking to Chairman Matsuda, who insisted that Carlos call him ‘Rick’ when talking with him over the phone.
“You sound exhausted, Mr. Hirano. You OK? Need an asprin? You do have those in the office don’t you?”
“Yeah, nah, you’ve hit the nail on the head. I’m exhausted. Anyway, since you’re happy with my performance and everything’s going well; I was wondering if I could have a little reward.”
“What would you like?—And be reasonable!”
“I’d like a break starting tonight after my interview with Forbes. Tomas offered to ask our secretary, Julie, to shift all my meetings to him.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea! I was even thinking the same thing myself. Besides, record numbers of citizens have traded in their dollars for FCs, and the conditions are ripe for us to begin the next stage of our plan. But it wouldn’t hurt for you to take a holiday; in fact I encourage it. The next phase will literally kill you! (Chuckles)”
“Thanks Rick.”
“By the way, make sure you go some place nice; somewhere far away and rural – like a village in Europe or South America. Turn off your phone and be completely off-grid; don’t look at a single screen during that period. Enjoy some fresh air, touch grass, and become one with nature!”
“I intend to. In fact, I know just the place already.”
“Attaboy! Now get ready for your interview and pack your suitcase straight after!”
With that said, Carlos hung up and returned to his office where Tomas was reading some news on his smart phone while waiting.
Carlos accepted Tomas’ offer to fill in for him while he takes a ‘spur-of-the-moment’ holiday.
“Awesome! I won’t let you down; in fact I intend to outshine you!” Tomas said in response.
The following evening, Carlos made his way to the Taido International Airport with a single suitcase and a duffle bag. He took an overnight economy flight to his favourite holiday destination, Barcelona.
Since his late-teens, Carlos enjoyed sailing and fishing, and he relished the freedom and wonder of being near the ocean. Sure, with Sakashima being an island nation, he wouldn’t need to travel far to do all the above; but he savoured the idea of being a stranger in an exotic paradise.
The particular region of Barcelona he liked visiting was Sant Pol de Mar, a fishing village in the Meresme region. As one could imagine, it was a coastal town with pristine beaches; and various activities like camping, fishing, and snorkelling were commonplace.
Carlos realized he’d not been out of the country since his arrest nearly a decade ago. ‘I hope the place hadn’t changed too much; and more importantly, I hope the restaurant that does that amazing tuna escabeche is still there.’ he thought while boarding the plane.
Once landing in Barcelona, Carlos took a train down to Sant Pol de Mar, booked a hotel room and watched movies in his room before falling asleep.
The following day, after enjoying a meal at his favourite restaurant (which was fortunately still in business); he checked out of the hotel, rented a row boat and camped on the beach.
To Carlos, there wasn’t anything like enjoying local wine and bread on the beach after a day of sailing. Best of all, the few people he encountered along the way didn’t recognize who he was. ‘How wonderful it is to be invisible.’ he thought. Although, there were moments when he felt like he was being watched from a distance; but he immediately brushed it off with the thought that he was just being paranoid from being habitually on high alert since his release from prison.
While lying on the beach at night next to a campfire under the stars, Carlos thought to himself ‘I could live like this forever. Literally. All I’d have to do is draw out all my money from my bank account, convert it into gold or some other stable currency, fake my death, and hide somewhere in Spain for about five years. I’d be free.’
He then went on to reminisce about the last ten years and the events that transpired; from his arrest and Raul’s assassination, to the revival of Golden Nomad.
‘Hmm, maybe life isn’t so bad. I mean sure it was painful and chaotic as hell, and I lost so much in the process; but I’ve regained it all and then some. Just like in the Book of Job from the Old Testament. Also, not only is Golden Nomad up and running again, but our Freedom COiNs will be the last bastion of hope for Sakashima’s economy when the Dollar collapses; and even then, people are already recognizing it, and I’m practically a messiah for my part in providing the solution. Y’know what; life isn’t so bad after all!’
Over the next several weeks, Carlos camped on the beach, sailed out into the ocean every morning before enjoying breakfast at some of his favourite Catalan restaurants, and visited various historical sites. Rinse and repeat; and during that time, Carlos never once switched on his phone and refrained from gazing at any television screen while visiting the town. ‘This is how humans are meant to live, and anything outside of this would be unnatural’ he thought while sitting in his boat in the middle of the ocean.
Soon, the day he dreaded arrived; the day he was scheduled to return to Sakashima.
During his last day in Sant Pol de Mar, Carlos checked into a hotel and stayed the night before taking a train back to Barcelona, and catching a flight back to Taido.
